Kabaeva, 39, made a rare public appearance to open a new
gymnastics training center in Sochi. One photo taken from the event and shared
on social media showed Putin's girlfriend wearing a black blazer with a
"Z" insignia brooch, a symbol that has been associated with the
Russian army.
Alexei Miller, the head of major Russian gas company
Gazprom, accompanied Kabaeva at the opening ceremony. He was also spotted
wearing a "Z" insignia at the event, according to The Kyiv Post.
The "Z" insignia gained international attention
after it was seen painted on Russian military vehicles gathering near the
Ukrainian border in the weeks leading up to the invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24.
It is unclear when and how Kabaeva met Putin. However,
rumors claimed that the Russian president secretly divorced his wife, Lyudmila
Putin, to pursue a relationship with Kabaeva in 2008, The New York Times
reported, citing an article in the Moscow newspaper Moskovsky Korrespondent.
The Moscow newspaper was owned by a former Soviet intelligence officer.
In 2007, Kabaeva entered Russian politics and was elected as
a deputy in the State Duma. However, she left her position in September 2014 to
chair the board of directors of the National Media Group, Russia's largest
media conglomerate, as per The Guardian. The outlet noted that Kabaeva did not
have any experience in media management when she joined the media company.
The Political Eye
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